The East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Rotary to advance environmental sustainability through the EACOP Green Schools Initiative.
The agreement, formalized in Kampala, establishes a collaborative framework to promote environmental stewardship in schools along the 1,443km pipeline route, spanning districts such as Hoima, Kikubbe, Kakumiro, Mubende, Kyankwanzi, Lwengo, Kyotera, Rakai, Sembabule, and Gomba in Uganda.
The EACOP Green Schools Initiative aims to transform school environments into models of sustainability by equipping students with the knowledge, skills, and values to become environmental champions.
Key activities include installing solar systems, creating green spaces with fruit and vegetable gardens, implementing proper waste management, providing sanitation and handwashing facilities, setting up rainwater harvesting systems, and conducting awareness programs on environmental, health, sanitation, and safety issues.
At the MoU signing ceremony, JB Habumugisha, Deputy Managing Director of EACOP emphasized the initiative’s significance.
“The EACOP Green Schools Initiative is a proactive response to the pressing need for sustainable solutions within our communities. By embedding environmental interventions in schools, we will address immediate challenges while nurturing a generation that values and protects our natural resources,” he said,
Rotary District 9213 Governor Geoffrey Kitakule echoed this sentiment, highlighting Rotary’s commitment to environmental protection.
“This partnership is timely. There is no better way to secure a sustainable future than working with young people, the champions of tomorrow. Together, we see a world where communities unite and take action to create lasting change,” Kitakule said.
Christine Keyeyune Kawooya, District Governor of Rotary District 9214, commended the collaboration.
“Our communities depend on how well we prepare the next generation to care for the environment. Through this initiative, Rotary will work closely with schools to promote tree planting, sustainable waste management, and climate education, investing in a greener, healthier, and more resilient future,” she said.
The East African Crude Oil Pipeline is a 1,443km infrastructure project designed to transport Uganda’s crude oil from Kabaale, Hoima, to the Chongoleani peninsula near Tanga, Tanzania, for export to international markets.
The pipeline, which includes 296km in Uganda and 1,147km in Tanzania, comprises a 24-inch insulated and buried pipeline, six pumping stations, two pressure reduction stations, and a marine export terminal.
